There’s no shortage of news bloopers on YouTube, and each and every one of them is a goddamned delight. This one from KOAT Action 7 News is equally hilarious, but the 16-second clip also functions as a resonant, relatable three-act play of frustration.
In it, KOAT co-anchor Doug Fernandez is tasked with delivering the tragic story of a fatal shooting in southwest Albuquerque. When nothing happens after he cuts to a reporter on the scene, he briskly and professionally moves onto the next story before the feed abruptly cuts to “Action News reporter Christine Payes.” Why the camera immediately cuts back to Fernandez is a mystery, but thank god it did because his reaction conveys “fuck my life” better than those three words ever could.
Furthermore, Fernandez’s irritation isn’t born of pure crankiness. This is a guy who, according to the International Business Times, stayed on the air for more than 16 hours over a three-day period in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He’s also covered everything from the Democratic and Republican National Conventions to the slew of major fires that ripped through New Mexico in the summer of 2003. This is a dude who, like so many of us, just can’t with this bullshit.
As such, let us all celebrate that the fact that this amusing, offhand gaffe didn’t cost Fernandez his job. Reporters are dealing with enough these days.